Improve Your Boats Performance

Adjusting the distribution of weight is one of the most straightforward ways to easily impact how your boat performs and handles. If a boat is too overloaded in a particular position, it can have different effects on your boating. For example, if you have too much weight at the stern of the boat, you may experience bow rise and find it difficult to get on the plane, see where you’re heading, and handle. Too much weight on the bow can make the boat more likely to nose dive into waves.

In general, you want most of your weight around the middle of the boat. This can be done by sitting towards your bow or positioning passengers and gear to achieve this. If travelling solo, a great way to accomplish this with an outboard is by using a tiller arm extender. This extends the length of your tiller arm, allowing you to sit further forward on your boat, and can increase your comfort. Shop the Boatworld tiller arm extender.

Adjusting your engine trim

The next easy way to impact your vessel’s performance is by adjusting your engine/outboard trim, whether that is by a trim pin or with electronic trim control.

If your boat’s engine is not trimmed correctly, you may find that you experience performance issues. For example, if your engine is angled too high, you may encounter bow rise and cavitation/ventilation. On the contrary, if it is angled too low, your boat may take a long time to plane, or even be unable to.

The easiest way to resolve this is to start with your outboard in the lowest trimmed position (with the outboard straight on with the boat). Then, trim the engine incrementally to face further down until you find the sweet spot for your boat, the conditions, and your weight distribution.

Nauticus Hydroplanes

The Hydroplanes from Nauticus can be a great option for tuning certain boat/engine setups. These performance trim tabs fit to the stern of your boat, utilising dynamic hinge technology to react to water pressure and your boat speed in order to produce a smoother ride and better handling.

Designed for small boats between 2.4 and 4.8m in length with an outboard between 10 and 40hp (great for smaller power boats and inflatables). The Hydroplanes can eliminate common problems such as porpoising by keeping the boat more balanced and efficient. They also improve overall stability, faster time to plane, and increase speed. Shop the Nauticus Hydroplanes.

Nauticus Trim Tabs

Another product from Nauticus is their renowned Trim Tabs. These are a great option to improve the performance of certain setups. Nauticus Trim Tabs are adjustable hydraulic plates mounted on the boat’s transom. These can be controlled to create lift on either side of the boat, adjusting its trim angle. They are designed for RIBs, day cruisers, bow riders, and sports boats between 12’ and 22’ with engines ranging from 40 to 240hp.

The performance improvement with Nauticus Trim Tabs can be dramatic. They are designed to improve stability, and by fine-tuning your trim angle, you can minimise porpoising and improve manoeuvrability. By optimising the boat’s running angle, you can reduce drag from bow rise, increase top speed and fuel economy, and reduce your time to plane—even with varying loads and sea conditions. Shop the Smart Trim Tabs: 40, 60 & 80lbs.

Outboard Hydrofoils

Outboard Hydrofoils are aerodynamic surfaces mounted above your propeller’s cavitation plate. The aim of a hydrofoil is to reduce drag and increase lift, which can, on certain setups, improve your boat's performance.

With hydrofoils fitted to your outboard, you can expect to reduce cavitation by preventing air from being drawn into the propeller blades, increasing efficiency. By counteracting the upward force on the bow, hydrofoils can reduce bow rise, helping you get onto the plane quicker and providing a smoother ride. This reduction in drag can also improve fuel efficiency at higher speeds. However, while hydrofoils can decrease your time to plane, they may slightly reduce your top-end speed. Shop Outboard Hydrofoil Fins.